Week 9 Part B: Using Google for Business and Creating an Account

    Most of us think of social media first when it comes to promoting a brand, but after researching Google’s tools for businesses, I realized it’s way more valuable than I thought. People often search Google before anything else, so having a strong presence there is key.    

    Google Business Profiles let you claim your brand and customize it with your hours, location (if needed), photos, and updates. Even without a physical store, I can still show up professionally and make it easier for people to find and trust Coco Shuffles.

    What surprised me is how interactive it is—people can leave reviews and upload their own photos. That kind of social proof builds credibility fast, especially for local businesses or creators like me offering tutorials or services.

    Google also gives insights into how people are finding your business and what they’re clicking on. For someone like me trying to grow strategically, that kind of feedback is super helpful—especially if I start running ads.

    After looking at other local businesses, it’s clear the ones using Google well stand out. I’m definitely planning to claim my profile, keep it updated, and use it as another way to build trust and visibility for Coco Shuffles.

Week 9 Part A: What is TikTok All About

    I’ve been researching how to grow Coco Shuffles, and honestly, TikTok keeps coming up as one of the most powerful tools for creators like me. The platform is built around short, visual content—which is literally what I do: dance, move, and create.

    What stood out most in my research is the organic reach. Unlike other platforms, TikTok gives smaller creators a real shot at visibility without needing a huge following or paid promotion. That means my tutorials, shuffle videos, and personality can all reach people just by showing up consistently.

    I also realized it’s more than just trends—TikTok is about community and connection. People want to learn, laugh, and feel something. That’s exactly what Coco Shuffles is about, and I’m excited to start using it more intentionally.

    Another thing I found interesting is how TikTok rewards authenticity. It’s not about having the most polished video—it’s about showing up in a way that feels real. That’s encouraging, because I don’t need a big production team. I just need my skills, my message, and my phone.

    From what I’ve gathered, TikTok isn’t just a platform—it’s a launchpad. Whether it’s to grow my audience, sell tutorials, or build deeper trust with my followers, it’s clear that TikTok can play a major role in taking Coco Shuffles to the next level.

Week 8 Part B: Blogs, Vlogs, Podcasts & Webinars PLUS How Adding a Personal Touch to Posts Can Help

     After reading about the different ways businesses use blog posts, I feel an interesting way I could use mine for my page would be to talk about current dance news events. I can position myself as a thought leader and someone who is fully immersed in the field, which could position me as more of an expert. I could write some personal blogs as well about my work experiences, and include links to certain tutorials or videos to cross promote my socials, and inspire others to purchase tutorials.

    I also think podcasts would be a great way to further promote my brand and position myself as someone who is well-educated and well-connected within the dance industry. I could have a podcast where I invite dancers and we talk about our journies and what we are up to. This would also be beneficial for them as it would give them a platform to talk about what they have going on. I could see supporting other dancers this way as a huge win with unknown potential for future opportunities. When dancers promote one another, the opportunities are endless.

    I can't think of any companies that wouldn't benefit from using at least one of those options as it can position them to be whatever they need to be. Personable, educational, experienced, entertaining, whatever it may be. 

    I personally plan to expand on this idea and figure out how I can incorporate it in my business when I feel I'm ready to launch it.

Week 8 Part A: Your Instagram Hashtag Use

    I was supposed to post 3 times this week on my page but I recently had my nerve entrapped in my calf and behind my knee so I wasn't able to create, film, and edit 3 dances. Since my page is only that, I didn't want to post for the sake of posting. I have a content day scheduled during spring break with my friend where we plan to fil 5 dance videos so I'm excited about that.

    In my last post, however, I did explain the main hashtags that I use and would have used them for these posts as well. They have been working for years now. I found them through years of watching others and seeing what they've used, as well as personal experience testing which ones work best for my page.

Week 7 Part B: How Other Businesses Use Instagram Including Hashtags

    This week, I did some research into businesses similar to the one I’m creating for myself. I noticed the more successful accounts were good at using hashtags like #dance, #classes, #danceclass, #(the style of dance being shown), and #(their company name). The most successful one, DNCR, uses very few and is very specific with them, he puts them IN his sentence instead of at the bottom like “We have a new challenge out for you! #dncrExtraL is live”, which I find very clever. Below is a quick overview of all 5 Instagram accounts.

DNCR Academy

           Total followers: 716k

           Posting frequency: Every few days

Best response content: Non-tutorials or staged/rehearsed street or studio performances.

           Last post: 2 days ago

Likes to followers: Average 500-1000 likes, some more, some less. I’d say this is pretty low compared to the amount of followers they have.

Comments: Average 20-60 per video with an ok amount of viral videos that have hundreds of comments. I’d say their average ranges widely but still on the lower end considering the amount of followers the page has.

Steezy Studio

Followers: 547k

Posting frequency: Inconsistent, sometimes monthly, sometimes a couple of times per month.

Best response content: Picture or video carousels. This is a bit surprising, considering I’ve known this brand for YEARS. I figured they would have more popular reels.

           Last post: February 26, 2025

           Likes to followers: Hidden likes on most posts which leads me to believe they                are extremely low.

Comments: Average below 10 per video. This is EXTREMELY low for a brand as well-known as them.

Cli Studios

Followers: 227k

           Posting: Almost every other day

           Best response content: Collaborated content with the dancers in the videos.

           Last post: 4 days ago

Likes to followers: Average 150-500, which is pretty low compared to the amount of followers but the fact that they aren’t hiding them is a good thing.

Comments: Average of 0-15, which is REALLY low considering the number of followers they have.

 

Dance Masterclass

Followers: 469k

           Posting frequency: A few times per month and inconsistent.

           Best response content: The dance reels with multiple collaborators. 

           Last post: February 23

Likes to followers: Decent, always over 1,000, with the average being around 2,000 – 4,000. This is pretty good, especially when compared to the other pages.

Comments: Average 10 – 30, I’d say this is on the lower end but not as bad as some of the others above.

 

Learn to Dance

Followers: 514

Posting: Inconsistent, sometimes every other month, sometimes twice a                             month

Best response content: They barely have comments with all the videos being similar. Many videos have 0 comments.

           Last post: February 26, 2025

Likes to followers: Average 10-30, this isn’t too bad considering she has less than 1000 followers.

           Comments: Average 0-3 which is incredibly low.

    After reviewing these accounts, I noticed that consistency breeds growth so I’m inspired to batch content and invest in a system like Social Pilot to schedule and batch-post content on multiple platforms. I also think I need to do more collaborations as I’ve recently stopped, but that will help with exposure and raising brand awareness. 

    When it comes to hashtags, I feel I’ve gotten pretty good at finding ones that work, but I think I need to create specific ones for my brand and challenges once they are created. My favorite hashtags are #dance #dancer #instadance #choreography #choreo #shuffle #shuffler #shuffledance, basically, a hashtag for the style of dance I’m doing in the video and the song name.

Week 7 Part A: Get Visual with Instagram - Let a Picture or Short Video Tell the Story

 I'm doing the alternate as I already have an account for my business. Instagram: @cocoshuffles

    I currently have 156,000 followers and follow quite a few businesses and dancers I look up to and aspire to grow my business. I started my account about 7 years ago and the progression of it is actually kind of funny. I wasn't originally posting as a dancer. My first use for this page was a regular lifestyle as a traveler and photographer then when I moved to LA it morphed into a fitness profile. I got my personal training certification and started working at LA Fitness, and at this same time, I was posting myself doing my shuffle dances, not realizing it would be the one to pop off. My account started growing like crazy in 2020, and that's when Cocoshuffles was born. 

    I used to be really good at posting regularly, and that's when my videos were getting hundreds of thousands to millions of views regularly until I got injured. I started posting again, and then this past November, I twisted my ankle. So, two injuries were caused by shuffling, so I made the decision to start learning other dance styles that aren't as hard on my ankles and hamstrings. I am working myself back up to posting daily with the help of new photographers and other major dancers I'm currently planning out content to start rebuilding my brand and followers.

    Some hashtags I use are #dancer #dance #shuffling #shuffledancer #shuffling #instashuffle #instadance #dancetrends #trending #trends. These are great depending on the type of video I'm posting as they are commonly searched within my field. For those looking for which types of hashtags to use, a fun fact for you is to use what you do as a hashtag like if you're a restaurant, use #restaurant, then also use #instarestaurant. Add "insta" to the beginning of your niche for more exposure. 

Week 6 Part B: Creating and Scheduling FaceBook Posts

     I chose to do two written posts and one video post. The first one is a motivational post explaining the many benefits of dancing. The second post is a video I made quickly promoting my dance tutorials, I grabbed some of my favorite videos and made a compilation, did a voiceover, and added music and captions. The last post is a question for those who follow my page. I feel they are different ways of engaging current and potential supporters by first motivating and then sharing a fun video that can gain new traction, followed up by an open-ended post to encourage conversation. My hopes are that people will get excited about dance and comfortable enough to share their fears or concerns.